


Learning The Lines

by respoftw



Series: 30 prompt OTP challenge - McShep [17]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:16:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17057021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: Being posted to Atlantis in the second wave was a lot like joining the cast of a play where everyone knew their lines and cues except for you.  At least that’s how Lorne felt.





	Learning The Lines

Being posted to Atlantis in the second wave was a lot like joining the cast of a play where everyone knew their lines and cues except for you.  At least that’s how Lorne felt.

Sometimes it was little things like referring to the off-world teams as SG-insert-number-here instead of AR-insert-number-here.  Sometimes it was not so little things, things like one of the second wave marines complaining about having to wait a whole month before the next Daedalus run could restock the Mountain Dew.  Lorne thought that he was going to have to intervene at that one but Lt. Col. Sheppard had managed to defuse the situation with a hard look and a tired grin.

Lorne really didn’t know what to make of Sheppard.  He’d been on Atlantis for six weeks and all he knew about his CO was that he hated paperwork with a passion and every single member of the original expedition thought the man walked on water.

Lorne hadn’t decided if he liked the man yet.

Lorne hadn’t decided if he liked Atlantis yet.

* * *

“Control, please be aware that there’s been an SP1 incident reported in the level 6 break room.”

Lorne dropped his paintbrush carefully on the ledge of his easel, frowning at the unfamiliar code.  He was off duty but his radio remained in his ear, tuned to the control channel in an effort to better familiarize himself with the inner workings of Atlantis.

He’d learned early on that when a call went out, Sheppard always answered, regardless of when his shift ended.  There was no way he was ever going to suffer through the embarrassment of his CO having to wake him up during an incident ever again. So the radio stayed on, even when he slept.  He was pretty sure he had an indent in the skin above his ear now but the nod that Sheppard had given him when he showed up in the control room after a 3 am unscheduled activation was approving and it had made Lorne feel a little warm.

Hell, maybe Lorne was starting to believe that whole walking on water thing.

He’d thought he’d been doing better but every time he thought he was keeping his head above water, another tidal wave of information dragged him back under.

The Canadian gate tech, Chuck, answered the radio chatter.  “Acknowledged, Sgt. Stackhouse. I’ll flag the room on the system.  We wouldn’t want anyone walking into an SP1 incident without some warning.”

“Roger that,” Stackhouse replied, his voice sounding faintly amused.  “Proceeding with security patrol as standard.”

Lorne soon heard the standard radio chatter start up but he was still stuck on the unidentifiable code.  He really hated showing his ignorance, especially in front of one of the original wave but it was better to seem a little dumb now than a lot dumb when it was life or death, right.

Sighing, he flicked his radio on to broadcast.

“Sgt. Stackhouse, this is Major Lorne.”

Stackhouse’s voice came through as clear as if he was standing right next to him.  The SGC never had that clarity, not with all those tonnes of rock above them.

“Major Lorne, Sir, what do you need.”

Lorne grimaced but tried to keep his tone light.  “Well, I’m hoping you can tell me what an SP1 incident is.  I’m thinking I must have missed that one in the codebook.”

“I, ah, didn’t realise you were on the radio, sir.  It’s nothing to worry about. Just a, a little shorthand we use.  There’s a...substandard plumbing issue. I’m sure Chuck has reported it to the science team.  It’ll be sorted by morning, sir.”

Lorne may not know much but he knew when he was being bullshitted.  

“Right,” he said, smiling so that his voice didn’t give him away.  “We had a couple of those in the SGC too. Except it was usually the wiring rather than the plumbing.  I’ll let you get back to work, Sgt.”

“Thank you, sir.  Have a nice night.”

Stackhouse’s voice sounded way too relieved and Lorne knew that something weird was up.  Casting a last, longing look at his half-finished painting, he grabbed for his boots and headed out to visit the level 6 break room.

He got lost on Atlantis more often than not, missing the colour coded lines that ran through the corridors of Cheyenne mountain but the good thing about Atlantis is that you were bound to happen upon a transporter sooner or later to right your way.

Pressing the space on the map that would take him close to the level 6 break room, Lorne wondered what he’d find as the doors slid shut and his molecules dematerialised.

* * *

Finding his commanding officer spooned up against the chief science officer on a crappy break room couch was not what he had expected.

If the original expedition members thought John Sheppard walked on water, they were undecided on McKay.  Lorne had heard people eviscerate him with words and then defend him as their saviour all in one breath. He was divisive and yet universally respected at the same time.

Lorne tended to think the man was sort of an ass but he’d never seen him like this.  

The two men were pressed close against each other, John’s nose buried in the crook of Rodney’s shoulder.  John was taller while Rodney was broader and they should have looked ridiculous, squeezed onto that couch but they looked...they looked like they fit together perfectly.

“Ah, Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Lorne turned to find Stackhouse approaching him. 

“So, SP1 is code for spooning, huh?”

Stackhouse had the grace to look embarrassed.  “I don’t know what you mean, Sir. I don’t see anything of the sort and that’s exactly what I will tell anyone that - -”

“I’m not telling anyone anything, Jason, you can stand down.”

Stackhouse’s shoulders loosened a bit.  “Sorry, Sir, it’s just that you’re new and I wasn’t sure - -”

Lorne waved him off.  “It’s ok, I get it. Things are different here than they are on Earth.”  He let his gaze fall back to the break room, half smiled as Sheppard snuffled his nose against McKay’s exposed skin.  “Some might even say they’re better.”

Stackhouse fully relaxed then, smiling.  “I like to think so, Sir.”

With a sloppy salute, Stackhouse left.  Lorne stayed there for a little while longer, watching the military and science leaders of Atlantis spoon together on the couch.  They looked happy. Happy in a way that he hadn’t let himself be in a long time.

Being posted to Atlantis in the second wave was a lot like joining the cast of a play where everyone knew their lines and cues except for you.  Lorne finally felt like he was starting to learn the lines.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Fills the 'spooning' prompt of this challenge. Also fills the long overdue requirement for me to write something happy!


End file.
